impulse

American  

[im-puhls] / ˈɪm pʌls /

noun

impulses plural

1. the influence of a particular feeling, mental state, etc..

   to act under a generous impulse; to strike out at someone from an angry impulse.

2. sudden, involuntary inclination prompting to action.

   to be swayed by impulse.

3. an instance of this.

4. a psychic drive or instinctual urge.

5. an impelling action or force, driving onward or inducing motion.

6. the effect of an impelling force; motion induced; impetus given.

7. Physiology. a progressive wave of excitation over a nerve or muscle fiber, having either a stimulating or inhibitory effect.

8. Mechanics. the product of the average force acting upon a body and the time during which it acts, equivalent to the change in the momentum of the body produced by such a force.

9. Electricity. a single, usually sudden, flow of current in one direction.

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adjective

1. marked by or acting on impulse.

   an impulse buyer.

2. bought or acquired on impulse.

   To reduce expenses, shun impulse items when shopping.

impulse British  

/ ˈɪmpʌls /

noun

1. an impelling force or motion; thrust; impetus

2. a sudden desire, whim, or inclination

   I bought it on an impulse

3. an instinctive drive; urge

4. tendency; current; trend

5. physics

   1. the product of the average magnitude of a force acting on a body and the time for which it acts

   2. the change in the momentum of a body as a result of a force acting upon it for a short period of time

6. physiol See nerve impulse

7. electronics a less common word for pulse 1

8. spontaneously or impulsively

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impulse Scientific  

/ ĭm′pŭls′ /

1. A sudden flow of electrical current in one direction.

2. An electrical signal traveling along the axon of a neuron. Nerve impulses excite or inhibit activity in other neurons or in the tissues of the body, such as muscles and glands.

3. The change of momentum of a body or physical system over a time interval in classical mechanics, equal to the force applied times the length of the time interval over which it is applied.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• impulses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of impulse

First recorded in 1640–50; from Latin impulsus “incitement, pressure,” noun use of past participle of impellere “to strike against, set in motion”; see impel

Explanation

An impulse is a sudden force or desire — this could be an electrical impulse, or an impulse to get some pizza. If you act on a sudden feeling or thought, you’re following an impulse. That's like a whim: an impulse isn't something you've given a lot of thought. Another meaning of impulse is an electrical charge or pulse. Electrical impulses are coursing through wires all through your house every day. Both kinds of impulses make things happen. The electrical impulse keeps the refrigerator going, and then you have an impulse to eat all the ice cream in the fridge.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

impulse impulses

"Primark is known for that impulse nature," she explains.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

The impulse to replace a deceased lawmaker with a grieving spouse, child, or other family member is faintly absurd.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026

Some point to signs that the impulse from tariffs on imported goods prices has finally run its course.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

This means light must pass through layers of nerve fibres before reaching the photoreceptors – specialised cells responsible for detecting light and converting that into a nerve impulse to send to the brain.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026

When he did not reply, Naomi’s first impulse was to find the quickest way to send Beto back to the house.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

But it’s also a story about, say, how a creature’s loneliness might make him greedy and petulant, and how sometimes the best solution is to feed someone’s heart as opposed to their impulses.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

Eurozone government bond yields edged lower, tracking their Treasury peers, with little in the way of new impulses for the eurozone this week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

These include when the electrical impulses that regulate heartbeats don't function properly, or when the walls of the heart become inflamed or damaged.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

Here, she discusses greedy women, cold mothers and her own tradwife impulses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

“That one, then. The roll unwinds. The selenium cells transform the light impulses into sound waves, and . . .” “And there you are,” Dr. Gaffney concluded.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

Related Words

• desire
• feeling
• inclination
• influence
• instinct
• motivation
• motive
• notion
• passion
• thought
• whim
• wish